While the Replica A. Lange & Söhne nameplate dates all the way back to 1845, the current incarnation of the company can be traced back to 1990 when Walter Lange, great grandson of original founder F. A. Lange, revived the brand from its post-World War II hiatus. In the years since, the resurrected marque has built up a formidable reputation among enthusiasts for classical perfection, and to celebrate 30 years of continued production the German marque has announced a pair of new variants to its refined and dressy Saxonia line. Both the new silver dial A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Outsize Date and the limited edition black gold flux dial A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin are evolutions of designed first debuted in 2018, with a freshly dramatic added flair.
Both the silver dial Saxonia Outsize Date and the black gold flux dial Saxonia Thin follow the classical Saxonia case plan, with narrow mirror polished bezels and small attached lugs accented with a slightly undersized pillbox crown at 3 o’clock. True to its name, the 40mm 18K white gold case of the black gold flux dial Saxonia Thin is elegantly svelte at only 6.2mm thick. A brushed central case segment helps to break up the visual profile in initial images as well, making the design appear even slimmer for a dramatic look. Around back, the Saxonia Thin features a sapphire display caseback to fully showcase the movement within. Although the Saxonia Outsize Date actually measures in at slightly more compact than its stablemate overall at 38.5mm, the taller 9.6mm thickness helps to visually differentiate it somewhat. Available in both 18K white gold and 18K pink gold, the Saxonia Outsize Date also adds a slim rectangular date corrector pusher at 10 o’clock.
Where both the new A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Outsize Date models and the new limited edition A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin really set themselves apart from previous iterations is with dial treatments. The new Saxonia Thin’s dial is undoubtedly the more dramatic of the pair, with a glossy black surface flecked with tiny multicolored sparkles. Perhaps better known as aventurine, the gold flux material used to create this effect is a form of glass with a high copper content. Once heated, the copper deposits in the glass form crystals inside the opaque glass structure, leading to an effect like a starry night sky. The rest of the minimal dial design is classic A. Lange & Söhne, with sharp 18k white gold alpha hands and matching slim applied baton indices that allow the dial surface to shine through as much as possible.
Although the dial of the new Replica A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Outsize Date may not have quite the same theatrical sparkle, the process to create the finish here is no less intensive. The dial itself is made from solid silver, with the main dial surface rendered in a delicate frosted grainy pattern. The 6 o’clock sub seconds subdial offers a flash of visual contrast with a tight azurage finish, naturally drawing the eye towards the complication. In typical A. Lange & Söhne fashion balance and proportion is the focus, with each element of the dial visually counterweighted against everything surrounding it. The big date window and sharp Germanic dial text at 12 o’clock directly balance against the 6 o’clock subdial, while the gold alpha hands and beveled baton indices are likewise carefully sized and shaped to counterbalance one another.
A. Lange & Söhne powers both the new silver dial Saxonia Outsize Date and the new limited edition Saxonia Thin with manufacture movements. For the Saxonia Thin, the movement of choice is the in-house L093.1 handwound movement, featuring a handsome and classically Germanic three-quarter bridge in striped German silver along with an intricately hand engraved balance cock. Adjusted in five positions, this movement offers a robust 72 hour power reserve at a 21,600 bph beat rate.
For the Saxonia Outsize Date, the brand opts for the in-house L086.8 automatic movement. Similarly decorated with a three-quarter striped bridge and hand engraved balance cock, the design of the L086.8 is further accentuated with blued screws throughout and an ornate skeletonized rotor in gold and platinum. In terms of performance, the L086.8 is identical to its counterpart with adjustment in five positions, along with a 72 hour power reserve at a 21,600 bph beat rate.
A. Lange & Söhne Replica finishes both these models with alligator pattern leather straps, but each model takes a markedly different variation on the theme. The silver dial Saxonia Outsize Date is offered with a hand stitched version of the strap in black for white gold cased versions, while the pink gold cased variant is paired with the same strap in warm honey brown. For the new limited edition Saxonia Thin, the black alligator pattern leather takes on a decidedly more vintage cast. With a stitch free design and a patent leather style high polish finish, the strap here looks in initial images to emulate the look of classic midcentury dress watch straps.
While keeping the classically Germanic ethos of the Saxonia line intact, both the silver dial A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Outsize Date and the limited edition black gold flux dial A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin tastefully celebrate 30 years of the revived brand with enough handsome tweaks to set them apart from the rest of the series. Only 50 examples of the black gold flux dial A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin will be made. Both the silver dial A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Outsize Date and the limited edition black gold flux dial A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin are available now, with the Outsize Date available through all authorized dealers while the new Saxonia Thin is a boutique exclusive. MSRP for the silver dial A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Outsize Date
A. Lange Söhne Celebrates 30 Years Of Revival With Two New Saxonia Watch
